Learning to ride helps your mind: Training school invest in mental health

A national motorcycle training school firm are working with the Mental Health Motorbike charity to appoint 24 members of staff across the country as accredited Mental Health First Aiders.

The qualified helpers will be situated at each of Phoenix Motorcycle Training’s 22 sites, meaning they can look after the wellbeing of students and staff whilst also educating riders taking everything from Compulsory Basic Training to post-licence tuition.

“As the UK’s largest motorcycle training school, we can see the massive benefit to new and current riders of having access to Mental Health First Aiders in all of our locations,” Phoenix CEO Mark Jaffe said.

“As instructors and bikers, we know that riding motorcycles helps promote good mental health, and through this additional training enabling us to do even more, and the brilliant work of Mental Health Motorbike, we realise we can make a difference to riders old and new.”

According to Government figures released last summer, there were more than 5000 suicides registered in England in 2021. Suicide is also the biggest cause of death in men under 50 and around 75% of deaths from suicide each year are men.

Paul Oxborough, who founded Mental Health Motorbike, added: “Phoenix Motorcycle Training really get what it means to go the extra mile when training their new riders. We thank you for helping break the stigma around mental health.”